Camilla Waldman never thought she had the confidence to be an actress

2017-11-23 09:41

Phakamani Mvelashe

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Camilla Waldman

When Camilla Waldman joined Generations in 2004, she says
she was only meant to be on the soapie for only three months, but managed to
stay for four years playing Anne De Villiers. She says TV came late in her
acting career and if it wasn’t for the other actors on set helping her, things
could have gone the other direction for her. “I was terrified because I had
never worked in such an intense environment. The other actors really helped me.
I was scared of the camera,” reveals Camilla, who has also appeared on Isidingo
and Rhythm City.

LACKING CONFIDENCE

The actress can't control her excitement when she speaks
about joining the SABC youth soapie, Skeem Saam. “Chef Marlene is very
different to any character I have played before. She is very unglamorous; no
high heels, make-up, nails and all that. She is prejudice and racist, but
doesn’t realise it,” she says about her character. She portrays all her
characters so convincingly that it’s quite surprising that as a child, being an
actor never crossed her mind. She says she was a quiet child who lacked
confidence. “I didn’t think I had the confidence to be an actress. I didn’t
have much exposure to drama. But I did a few plays in school and I loved it. I
found a place that I sort of fitted in,” she says about how she discovered her
love for acting

SHE DIDN’T REALLY HAVE HER MOTHER'S SUPPORT

Although her mother is now proud of her, Camilla says her
mother was not quite on board with the idea of her child being an actor. Her
mother was only encouraged by the fact that her daughter had a direction she
wanted to pursue. Camilla understands her mother’s fears as she has gone
through the ups and downs that come with being in the entertainment industry.
“It’s not easy being an entertainer and the work isn’t consistent. It’s hard
being a mother of two and relying on acting for an income. It gets harder as I
get older because of responsibilities. Being unemployed can be hard on your
morale and you feel useless,” she says.

THE MOTHER HEN

The drive to provide for her family is what makes Camilla,
who is not married, to get up when she’s feeling down. She says her two
children, Hector (19) and Scarlet (8) come first. "When jobs are hard to
find, I communicate this to my children so that they feel like they’re part of
the team. I have always wanted to have children and being a mother is my most
important work."